EGG FERTILITY IN STORED EGGS

[TLsgamebirdfarm]

Hello All, I've been told by several people and have read about how long eggs will keep if stored correctly. I got a 45 bottle wine cooler (damaged door handle) marked down from home depot and have been storing my eggs in it. I only have been storing eggs for a few days I've been really reluctant about keeping them in there for very long. My eggs I sell are only in there for 3 days TOPS so they not be old when recieved. I been only shipping day old eggs because I'm getting LOTS of eggs. Well I been saving all of my coturnix eggs as well as some of my bob whites for 3 weeks.  I put them in the incubator my coturnix eggs have been hatching out BIGTIME and my bobwhite eggs are also hatching out great. I do not feel comfortable storing eggs for my customers more than 3-4 days TOPS but I wanted to see for myself how it would be to try this. My coturnix have been laying good but just started laying about 6 weeks ago and I guess my fertility is great. I keep the temp. at 55 degrees and I have a small cup with water in it they say a wine cooler will hold humidity as a reg. frig. will draw humidity out of the stored egg so I not take any chance on the eggs drying out.  I mark each egg as to the type or variety of bird and I'm only getting a few of the differant ornimental quail so I guess I can save them for a lil bit longer and hatch out more than a weeks gathering. I will NOT ship eggs older than 3-4 days old if they make it to even 3 days age as I said I gather the same day I ship to get all the best eggs I can get. I hope this will help some out and I'm gonna get right at building me a cooler room as I got the cooler for $120 and its $299 reg. price so I will not prolly find one to hold 3000-7000 eggs in a 3-4 days time much less a weeks worth. Thanks, and GOD BLESS, Tommy

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

The Wine cooler what you had purchase is fine as long as you can keep the recommended humidity and air circulation that is recommend for the specific eggs that you are holding.

Air circulation, I have found to be the most prevailing part. You may be able to keep the humidity and temperature to their respective level but stagnant air, will, in the end kill the embryo.

If the eggs are not held for more then 5 to 7 days from  each day of collection, (this is my own, again, my own opinion, your milage and others' may vary), keeping them in an air condition room at  the recommended required temperature and rotatining them every 4 hours minimum you would be in the range of a 90-95% hatch rate, as long as you have the minimun cock to hen ratio of course.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[TLsgamebirdfarm]

Steve, You are so right about all what you said above as I've done been there done that. The cooler just suspends the embryo and helps them all to hatch out in a matter of a few hours instead of a few days as I've learned that too. Now I've heard about partridge eggs staying good for 3+ weeks with out being in a cooler but I'm sure not gonna take that test unless its maybe my culls I dunno I need every single bird I can get. I just need to do a "STEVE SEARCH" on here and it won't take up the years of reading I've done here. I sure wish I could get a "certification" from all of my readings and hands on learnings I been thru. Thanks, and GOD BLESS, Tommy